Safety | LocalGov


Council launches lawsuit against Grenfell fire fridge maker 28/04/2025 Kensington and Chelsea has accused the manufacturer of the fridge blamed for starting the Grenfell Tower fire of failing to carry out adequate safety tests.
Directors of children’s services criticise pepper spray policy 24/04/2025 Council directors working in children’s services have criticized the Government’s decision to allow the use of pepper spray in young offender institutions.
Council to sell unsafe properties purchased after Grenfell fire 22/04/2025 The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is aiming to sell off 14 properties that it purchased to house survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Council issues order to protect remains of ancient oak 16/04/2025 Enfield Council has issued an emergency preservation order to protect what remains of a 500-year-old oak tree that was partially felled by a pub chain.
Minister: No compromise on building safety amid housing target pressure 01/04/2025 Building safety will not be compromised as the Government tries to meet its 1.5m new homes target, minister Alex Norris has insisted.
Godstone sinkhole residents able to return home 27/03/2025 Most of the residents of a Surrey village affected by a huge sinkhole are now able to return to their homes, the council has confirmed.
Cladding safety tax delayed one year 26/03/2025 A tax to fund the removal of unsafe cladding from homes has been delayed one year over fears it might undermine the Government's housebuilding plans.
TfL bans non-folded e-bikes on network 26/03/2025 Transport for London (TfL) has announced a ban on all non-folded e-bikes on parts of London’s transport network due to the fire risk.
Government ‘complacent’ over cladding capacity issue 20/03/2025 The Government ‘appears complacent’ about the fact there is insufficient capacity across local government to address the dangerous cladding crisis, MPs warn.
Managing Lifts in Public Buildings and the Building Safety Act 13/03/2025 LIFTEX 2025 Show Director Oliver Greening explains the changes to lift management and maintenance requirements brought about by the Building Safety Act.
Acrospire Enhances Harlington Underpass with Energy-Saving Vandal-Resistant Lighting 10/03/2025 Acrospire works with Hillingdon Council and J McCann & Co Limited to revitalise a key pedestrian route in London, addressing users’ safety concerns.
Vent-Axia Publishes Free eBook to Help Social Housing Landlords Navigate Awaab’s Law 05/03/2025 Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has published a free eBook ‘Ensuring Safe Housing Conditions: Focusing on Mould and Damp Conditions’.
Rayner: Grenfell inquiry must be ‘catalyst’ for systemic change 26/02/2025 The Government is committed to ‘stronger regulation’ to improve building safety, says Rayner while setting out the response to the Grenfell inquiry.
Grenfell council stands by contractor ban despite legal threat 24/02/2025 Kensington and Chelsea LBC is standing by its ban of a contractor involved in Grenfell Tower's refurbishment despite the firm mounting a legal challenge.
Investigations into Godstone sinkhole delayed 24/02/2025 Authorities have delayed investigations into the cause of a huge sinkhole in a Surrey village, citing safety concerns.
Make a dent in the £100m compensation claim bill 19/02/2025 With stairs being the most common hazard in the home, AAT is giving local authority social care teams a best value tool to manage safety, fast.
Major incident declared after sinkhole appears in Surrey 19/02/2025 Agencies have declared a major incident after a sinkhole appeared in a Surrey village, forcing residents to evacuate their homes.
Grenfell Tower to be dismantled ‘sensitively’ 10/02/2025 Angela Rayner has written to bereaved families who lost loved ones in the Grenfell Tower fire explaining that the building will be ‘sensitively’ taken down.
Government failing to tackle violence against women and girls 31/01/2025 A damning new report has concluded that government efforts have failed to improve outcomes for victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
Major flooding incident in Somerset as residents evacuated 28/01/2025 A major incident was declared in Somerset yesterday as residents were evacuated from their homes due to flooding.
Lancashire set to spend £14m on repairs at 61 schools 16/01/2025 Lancashire County Council has set out plans to spend a government grant on ‘urgent’ repairs at 61 schools.
Newcastle Council tackles dangerous staircases 08/01/2025 More than 3,000 homes and 57 blocks of flats with potentially dangerous staircases have been identified by Newcastle City Council.
Council to scrap new grit bins 06/01/2025 Milder winters and fiscal pressures have prompted Dudley Council to consider stopping the introduction of any new grit bins.
Acrospire launch aGlow Road Safety Light: a cutting edge IoT-enabled solution to ensure school zone safety 13/12/2024 British exterior lighting manufacturer, Acrospire, is proud to announce the launch of a new state-of-the-art, twin-amber hazard warning light designed specifically to enhance safety around school environments.
Regulator to check councils’ asbestos control 06/12/2024 The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is set to inspect hundreds of council buildings to check the risk of asbestos is being properly managed.
Child was at ‘constant risk of injury’ in unsafe temporary accommodation 05/12/2024 A family with a disabled child had to live in an unsafe flat for a year and a half longer than they should have, an investigation has found.
Social worker safety put at risk by policy changes 03/12/2024 Policy changes reducing police presence at mental health incidents are putting the safety of social workers at risk, a charity and university have warned.
Brum staff call for security review 26/11/2024 Birmingham City Council staff have called for a review of security at their offices after three housing staff were injured in a ‘serious incident'.
Pop-up flood awareness centre opens in Hull 26/11/2024 A pop-up flood awareness centre has opened in Hull to offer advice on how to prepare in the event of flooding.
CCTV trial launches at London bus stops 25/11/2024 Transport for London (TfL) has launched a trial of CCTV at 20 bus shelters across the capital in a bid to improve safety, particularly for women and girls.
Councillors demand action over ship with explosive material 19/11/2024 The decision to allow the MV Ruby, a ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, to return to Great Yarmouth was ‘unacceptable’, councillors warn.
Council fined £500k after dog walker death 11/11/2024 Cheshire East Council has been fined £500,000 after admitting breaches of health and safety legislation that led to a dog walker's death.
Woman fell to death trying to fix council flat drainpipe, inquest finds 11/11/2024 A 37-year-old woman who died after falling from a sixth-floor Hackney Council flat was trying to fix a blocked drainpipe, an inquest has found.
New steps to keep tenants safe 08/11/2024 Housing Associations can now access a cost-effective method of managing the risk of helping keep tenants safe when using stairs.
Charity calls for national standards on taxi licensing 05/11/2024 An anti-stalking and harassment charity has called for stricter background checks to be introduced for taxi drivers applying for licenses.
Scotland announces local safety cash with £4m for 20mph limits 05/11/2024 The Scottish Government has committed £14m to Scotland’s 32 councils to enhance road safety, with £4m dedicated to the rollout of 20mph limits.
Edinburgh urged to consider drug testing amid HGV safety concerns 31/10/2024 ‘Strong concerns around the potential use of alcohol or drugs while driving’ have emerged in a report into the safety of City of Edinburgh Council’s heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
Acrospire's Sustainable Lighting Solution for Luton Bus Shelters 29/10/2024 Acrospire has provided Luton Borough Council with a solar-powered solution that ensures zero energy consumption and robust performance.
Watchdog to investigate death of schoolgirl in mudslide 10/10/2024 The national health and safety regulator has taken over the investigation into how a 10-year-old girl was killed by a mudslide during a school trip.
Council alters head-bumping event over safety concerns 20/09/2024 A Cornish council has agreed to make changes to a local ceremony dating back to the 16th century over health and safety concerns.
Norfolk schools inspected due to ceiling collapse fears 19/09/2024 Norfolk County Council has commissioned inspections of 37 more school buildings over concerns the ceilings could be at risk of collapse.
Martyn's Law: Bill to protect public from terrorism introduced 13/09/2024 Plans to require venues to introduce measures to protect visitors and staff from terror attacks – known as Martyn's Law – have been introduced to Parliament.
Mayors asked to take lead in drive against extremism 05/09/2024 Local political leaders have been asked to spearhead efforts to tackle extremism and foster greater community cohesion following a summer of disorder.
Cambridgeshire to plead guilty after busway deaths 03/09/2024 Cambridgeshire County Council will plead guilty to two health and safety offences after three people died in collisions on its guided busway.
Shock as council paints over potholes 23/08/2024 Residents and councillors in Lymington were left in shock after the highway authority closed a pothole-riddled road for repairs – only to paint over the cavities.
Safety warning as 75-year-old fills potholes 23/08/2024 A Scottish council has expressed health and safety and insurance concerns after a 75-year-old resident used gardening tools to fill in potholes.
Haigh: Councils should decide on traffic measures 22/08/2024 The transport secretary has pledged to back councils that implement low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and 20mph limits, with the new government ‘absolutely determined’ to end the Tories’ ‘culture wars’ approach to transport.
Call for Government RAAC remediation cash 20/08/2024 Pressure is growing on the Scottish Government to help shoulder the multi-million pound burden of replacing council buildings containing dangerous concrete.
Landslip repairs to cost council £3.5m 15/08/2024 Northumberland County Council has estimated it will spend £3.5m repairing a road that suffered a landslip last year.
Harehills: Disorder 'normal' for Leeds social workers 13/08/2024 Leeds City Council has been urged to improve support for social workers after an employee was injured amid disorder in Harehills last month.
Council set to trial motorhome parking ban 09/08/2024 North Yorkshire Council is set to trial a ban on overnight motorhome parking at coastal hotspots because of ‘safety fears’ and escalating complaints from residents.
Believ earns ISO certifications as it continues to commit to quality, safety and environmental best practice 30/07/2024 Believ accredited with ISO certifications which demonstrate the company’s commitment to quality, security, health and safety and environmental best practice.
Wales publishes 20mph guidance 17/07/2024 The Welsh Government has published guidance on reverting speed limits in built-up areas to 30mph, less than a year after introducing a default 20mph limit.
Islington identifies £1.8bn housing shortfall 05/07/2024 Islington Council is facing a deficit ‘in excess of’ £1.8bn in its housing revenue account (HRA) over the next 30 years.
Companies banned from performing butt lifts after hospitalisations 05/07/2024 Brentwood Borough Council has launched an investigation after residents who had undergone a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) were hospitalised.
Public advised to use ‘personal lighting’ amid streetlight cuts 26/06/2024 A council in the outer Hebrides has advised people to consider using ‘personal lighting’ after announcing it would switch off streetlights earlier.
Lack of funding hindering road safety, councils say 19/06/2024 Limited funding and inadequate data are major barriers to road safety planning and measurement, local authorities have reported.
Investigation into fairground ‘malfunction’ after four injured 10/06/2024 A ‘thorough’ investigation will determine what caused a fairground ride malfunction that left four people injured at the weekend, Lambeth Council has said.
Half of cyclists say road conditions are dangerous 10/06/2024 A major local government insurer has warned that months of rain may have caused ‘some of the worst ever road conditions’.
Beach huts closed due to cliff collapse risk 03/06/2024 Dozens of seafront beach huts in Bournemouth have been closed due to fear of an imminent cliff collapse.
Child pedestrian casualties on England’s roads up 16% 31/05/2024 Nearly 50 child pedestrians are killed or injured on England’s roads every day, a new study has revealed.
Council launches investigation after five-year-old dies in tower block fall 17/05/2024 Newham Council will carry out an investigation following the death of a five-year-old boy who fell from a tower block of flats in east London on Thursday.
Council faces court over busway deaths 10/05/2024 Cambridgeshire County Council has been served a court summons over three fatalities in separate incidents on its troubled guided busway.
‘Bleak’ future for social housing without investment 07/05/2024 Without extra funding, the future of England's social housing looks ‘bleak’, council bosses have warned.
Potholes cost economy over £14bn a year 29/04/2024 The poor state of England’s pothole-riddled road system is costing £14.4bn a year in economic damage, new research has revealed.
Wales to ‘correct’ guidance on 20mph speed limits 22/04/2024 The Welsh Government will change its guidance on 20mph speed limits, the transport minister has said.
LGA calls for powers to withhold members’ address 03/04/2024 Council leaders have repeated their call for legislation enabling councils to withhold councillors' home addresses amid fears of abuse and intimidation.
DfT hands councils £38m for road safety 22/03/2024 Ministers have announced £38.3m to improve the safety of 17 high risk local roads in England.
Brixton Academy to reopen after fatal crush 05/03/2024 Brixton Academy will open next month for the first time since two people died in a crowd crush in December 2022.
LGA welcomes new police support for councillors 29/02/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has welcomed news that councillors will for the first time have a named police contact to help with security issues.
Plymouth council leader applauds city’s ‘war-time spirit’ 26/02/2024 The leader of Plymouth council has applauded the ‘war-time spirit’ of the city’s residents after a Second World War bomb was safely detonated at sea.
2,700 dangerous animals kept as pets 23/02/2024 Lions, tigers and venomous snakes are among the 2,700 wild animals kept at private addresses across the UK, wildlife charity Born Free has revealed.
Birmingham failed residents over damp and mould, ombudsman finds 22/02/2024 The Housing Ombudsman has found six cases of severe maladministration in Birmingham City Council’s handling of issues reported by tenants.
Rowley: Councils must do more to improve high-rise safety 21/02/2024 Housing minister Lee Rowley has called on councils to do more to tackle building owners who fail to fix high-rise buildings in the wake of Grenfell tragedy.
Lewes becomes first council to support ‘Zane’s Law’ 21/02/2024 Lewes District Council has become the first local authority to support a proposed new law that calls for greater protection from contaminated land.
Council appeared to be in ‘crisis management mode’ 20/02/2024 ‘Multiple and repeated’ failures by Hammersmith and Fulham Council left residents feeling ‘anything but secure in their homes’, a special investigation has found.
Barton House residents demand safety reassurances 15/02/2024 Residents of Barton House in Bristol have marched to City Hall demanding reassurances about the safety of the building ahead of their return.
Call to recruit 19,000 neighbourhood officers 13/02/2024 A think-tank has urged the Government to launch a recruitment drive to boost police numbers and restore trust in neighbourhood policing.
£3bn boost to affordable homes fund 12/02/2024 An additional £3bn is now available to build and improve affordable housing in England.
Nearly 120 RAAC-affected school buildings to be rebuilt 09/02/2024 Nearly 120 school buildings containing dangerous concrete will be rebuilt or refurbished, the Government has confirmed.
School leaders call for Ofsted exemption due to RAAC 07/02/2024 School leaders have called for all schools impacted by the dangerous concrete scandal to be exempt from Ofsted inspections until they are ‘fully operational’.
Pupils leaving RAAC schools, heads warn 25/01/2024 Students are increasingly being taken out of schools that are affected by a crumbly form of concrete, headteachers have warned.
‘Worst October in history’ for pothole breakdowns 27/11/2023 October this year was the worst on record for pothole-related breakdowns, according to the AA Pothole Index.
MPs slam ‘beyond unacceptable’ condition of schools 20/11/2023 Thousands of children are learning in potentially unsafe buildings, with MPs ‘extremely concerned’ about the Department for Education’s understanding of the risks, a new report says.
Council failure left ambulance unable to reach resident 15/11/2023 Stevenage Borough Council’s failure to fix a disabled resident’s door entry system left the ambulance service unable to attend to him, a watchdog has found.
Tower block evacuated over structural concerns 15/11/2023 Tenants were evacuated from a tower block in Bristol yesterday after a survey found there is a risk to the building’s structure.
Street calls for PCC powers 02/11/2023 West Midlands mayor Andy Street has formally asked the Government to transfer police and crime commissioner (PCC) powers to the mayoralty.
Bury Market partially closes for RAAC safety checks 27/10/2023 Bury Market’s indoor stalls, which contain Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, have been closed for safety works.
Historic courthouse collapses 09/10/2023 The Old Courthouse in Cockermouth, Cumbria has partially collapsed into a river.
Sheffield landlord gets country's longest banning order 06/10/2023 A Sheffield man has been added to the Rogue Landlord Database and banned from letting or managing properties for 10 years.
Unions call for £4bn investment in school estate 26/09/2023 In response to the RAAC crisis, trade unions have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to invest £4.4bn per year to improve the school estate.
Government urged to share RAAC school list 19/09/2023 Council leaders have urged the Government to share the list of schools who have yet to respond to surveys about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
‘Urgent’ RAAC inspections of Oxford council-owned buildings 12/09/2023 Authority-owned buildings in Oxford may contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and will be inspected ‘as a matter of urgency’, the city council has said.
London to expand 20mph limits 12/09/2023 Transport for London (TfL) has announced 65km of new 20mph speed limits to be introduced across eight London boroughs by the end of the year.
Regulator writes to housing providers over RAAC 08/09/2023 The Regulator of Social Housing wrote to all social housing providers in England yesterday on the issue of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
Newcastle approves new taxi design to improve safety 08/09/2023 Plans to rebrand Newcastle’s black cabs to make them ‘instantly recognisable’ have been approved by the city council.
RAAC: what housing associations need to know about the concrete crisis 07/09/2023 Jon Coane, social housing expert at Shakespeare Martineau, looks at how the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) scandal is affecting social housing.
Ministers fear public building disruption after school closures 07/09/2023 Some ministers fear disruption and huge costs if public buildings with RAAC are held to the standards the Department for Education set by closing schools.
Union issues safety warning as Glasgow ‘slashes’ number of CCTV staff 01/09/2023 Glasgow City Council has halved the number of staff it employs to monitor CCTV cameras in order to cut costs.
More than 100 schools told to shut buildings over safety concerns 01/09/2023 Days before the start of term, the Government has told 104 English schools to close buildings known to contain a weak form of ‘concrete’.